GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Nearly four months after a devastating fire, the future of the Lexicon Club and questions about insurance payout for nearby homes damaged in the blaze remain up in the air.

The property at 209 Lexington Ave. NW has been cleared of the rubble following the fire, but members and friends of the club say they have no idea when, or if, any redevelopment of the site might take place.

The club’s board members have been reluctant to speak to MLive for an update on the site's future, other than to say they are still waiting on a payout from the insurance company, according to current club treasurer John Schultz.

City records show the club is using Fremont Insurance.

"It's still too early to say anything," said Schultz, reached briefly by phone. "We're still working everything out. We haven't made any decisions yet."

The fire destroyed years of memories and left a hole in the annual Pulaski Days festival schedule for this October. There has been talk about pitching a tent on the club site for the annual festival. Information shared on the club's Facebook page has been limited to alternative venues for gatherings like pool league.

Ric Dokter, Grand Rapids fire investigator, said the official cause of the fire is being left “undetermined” due to the extent of the damage, an outcome he said is not preferable but not uncommon in structure fires.

The best investigators could determine was that the fire started on the west side of the building, where he said there was “any number of accidental sources of ignition.”

Investigators never looked at the fire as suspicious, Dokter said. The building was secured when firefighters arrived and the blaze was discovered by a passing club member. According to the department’s report, no human factors were identified as contributing to ignition.

“It doesn’t really fit the criteria for a suspicious fire,” he said. “In our interviews, we didn’t get any red flags.”

According to the report, the club's dollar loss from the fire totaled $611,375, with $489,000 of that total representing the property value.

The damage stretched beyond the club's footprint.

Next door to its property on Lexington is a vacant home at 210 Gold Ave. NW that formerly housed the family of Silvia Fajardo and Adelso Rojas, who are still displaced after the fire damaged their home with heat and smoke.

The family says they have a construction company willing to help rebuild the home for free or at steep discount, but are still waiting for word from Fremont Insurance company. The family did not have their own insurance.

The family cannot occupy the home, which is considered a total loss, due to the damage.

If the insurance company won't cover the damage, Sergio Cira Reyes, a friend helping the family, said the Rojases may end up on the hook for any penalties assessed by the city for code violations on the property.

Reyes said the club members raised some money for the family and helped with Christmas presents in the wake of the fire. The estimated damage to the Rojas home was $15,800.

Reyes said that through intermediaries, the family has been told Fremont Insurance may not cover the home’s damage unless it’s determined the fire was due to some kind of negligence on the part of the club.

Messages left with Fremont Insurance were not returned.

The fire also damaged two other neighboring homes.

A home at 645 Sibley St. NW suffered $5,649 worth of damage, mostly from heat on the home's siding, said homeowner Whitney Dorothy. Nearby, Andre Szczepaniuk's home at 203 Lexington Ave. NW suffered $11,773 worth of damage, according to the fire report.

"I haven't heard anything," said Dororthy, who said she did not file an insurance claim on the damage to the home's siding. "Everybody around here is waiting to see what's going on."

Club treasurer Schultz, the former bar manager, did not return calls for comment on the neighbors' situation. Messages left with club president Bob Boersen, vice president Bob Reynders, and Sgt. at Arms Steve Creager were also not returned.